Achieving crop fertilization by timing the release or application of fertilizer nutrients is known. Fertilization in the container-grown wholesale plant industry, for example, has been accomplished by methods including:
Multiple applications of granular fertilizer
Overhead liquid application of soluble fertilizers
Incorporating slow release fertilizers into potting soil
Polymer coated fertilizers.
Existing controlled release fertilizers have limited use in specialty agricultural markets where tropical (hot/humid/wet) conditions exist. Prior controlled release fertilizers are either not cost effective for use in these markets or do not perform as claimed (lacking true product longevity) or desired by the grower.
A new product is needed because existing, cost-effective, polymer coated fertilizers for use in specialty agricultural do not perform as demanded in tropical conditions. Excess heat (over 90° F.) can stress the coating of other fertilizer and accelerate their release and dramatically reduce their overall effectiveness in the field.
Inefficient fertilization using past existing polymer coated fertilizers increases costs and losses with respect to crops. To achieve the safe release of nutrient, current coated fertilizers must be relatively thickly coated, as measured by percentages of weight. Thicker coatings are necessarily costlier as result of, inter alia, the need for more coating materials. What is needed is an encapsulated fertilizer that can safely release nutrient to plants using coating that is more efficient.